From chemists who are transforming the way in which we look at DNA to pioneers in apps and tech to artificial intelligence experts who want to teach girls how to code chatbots, the female heroes of STEM in the new year come from hugely varied disciplines. And it's shaping to be a banner year for girls in STEM in particular; even American Girl, the doll company, has announced that its 2018 Girl Of The Year is a doll based on an aspiring astronaut. While STEM disciplines continue to see gender imbalance, 2018 will hopefully see women and girls inspired to enter STEM — and change the world when they do.

2Dr. Priya Subramanian, Mathematician

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Dr. Subramanian is one of the 2017 L'Oreal Women In Science Fellows, an annual award for rising stars in STEM fields across the world. Her area of research? Quasicrystals, a kind of crystal that earned their discoverer the Nobel Prize in 2011 for their sheer weirdness. Dr. Subramanian looks at why quasicrystals possess their distinguishing feature — their internal patterns never repeat — and how they can be used in manufacturing and other industries. Sounds difficult to explain at a party, but it may prove to be the cornerstone of a lot of extremely cool stuff in the future.

3Renee Watson, Founder Of Curiosity Box

Scientist Renee Watson was the 2017 winner of the Women In Science England (WISE) Toy Award for her company Curiosity Box, a subscription toy service of science-oriented toys for kids aged 7 to 11 — with 53 percent of their boxes going to girls. "I grew up in a small town where few people went to University and science was a dirty word, especially for a girl," Watson told WISE when she won the award. Curiosity Box is a part of the emerging market for STEM subscription services, and Watson's version is making one of the biggest splashes around.

4Dr. Yamuna Krishnan, DNA Chemist

Professor Yamuna Krishnan, a chemist, won the Infosys Prize this year for Physical Sciences, the first woman to win in the prize's history — for her seriously amazing work with DNA. Professor Krishnan is at the forefront of DNA nanodevices, small artificial devices using DNA scaffolding that can be inserted into the body to make discoveries about health and medicine. These tiny creations are revolutionizing the way we could receive medication, treat disease, and understand cell biology in the future, and Krishnan's lab is in the process of making an easy-to-use version that can spread the technology worldwide.

5The Afghan Girls Robotics Team

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The Afghanistan girls robotics team, who made headlines when they were temporarily banned from entering the U.S., won a very prestigious European robotics competition at the end of 2017. Their solar-powered robot, designed for use on farms, will take them to new heights in 2018, too: They're venturing back to the U.S. in May to compete for funding and the chance to start their own robotics company. Keep your eyes peeled for future robotics mavens on the horizon.

6Anamita Guha, Creator Of Chatbots For Good

Anamita Guha is working on changing the way we use chatbots. The product manager for IBM's artificial intelligence engine Watson, she's also teamed up with Girls Who Code to create something called Chatbots For Good. The program helps girls across the country, even if they have no coding experience at all, learn how to code chatbots that pick up on their users' emotional cues to give appropriate and cheerful responses. Customer chatbots, according to IBM, are probably the future of customer service, and girls who code can be part of the new revolution — with Guha's help, of course.